Legislation has been tabled to require Nova Scotia fur ranchers to have environmental management plans and to get site approval permits before they’re granted operating licenses.
The provincial government introduced the legislation Thursday “to help the (province’s) department of agriculture work more closely with fur ranchers so the industry can continue to grow.”
The province said its new laws put “more responsibility on ranchers to ensure operations take into account the effect on their neighbors and the environment.”
Fur ranches’ management plans will be required to cover “environmental impacts” such as waste, water management and disease prevention.
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The legislation also gives inspection and enforcement authority to the provincial ag department.
The government noted Nova Scotia’s mink industry logged export sales worth over $65 million in 2008 and about $80 million in 2009.
Calling the fur industry “a significant contributor to our provincial economy,” Ag Minister John MacDonell said the legislation is meant to “ensure the appropriate management and development of the industry for years to come.”
“We feel confident that this legislation will help the mink industry in the long run,” Earl Prime, president of the Nova Scotia Mink Breeders Association, said in the province’s release. The province said the association, along with other industry members and community groups, were consulted on the proposed laws.
Prime, who farms at Weymouth in the province’s southwest, said mink farms offer “valuable employment” in rural communities, citing on-farm work as well as pelting plants and feed kitchens.
